A Russian drone strike on Lviv’s historic center on Tuesday injured 22 people and damaged cultural landmarks, including a 17th-century church recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The attack underscores the escalating conflict’s threat to Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
Ukraine Criticizes UNESCO Response to Lviv Attack
On Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhij Tychy criticized UNESCO’s response to the attack on the Bernardine monastery in Lviv as “shameful.” “UNESCO reacted. Well, shame on them, frankly,” Tychy said at a press conference in Kyiv. “If they can’t even remember who inflicted this blow, and these are just some abstract attacks by aliens on Lviv, well, what is there to talk about? Unfortunately, Here’s a verdict on the dysfunctionality of this organization, on its inability to call things by their names.”
The ministry spokesperson noted that footage of the Russian Shahed drone striking the Bernardine monastery has been widely circulated online.
“What else is needed to state that it was Russia, or simply say that it was a Russian attack? What is the problem at all? Unfortunately, we must state that the Ukrainian air defense system currently contributes more to the protection of UNESCO world heritage than the entire UNESCO organization itself,” he added.
UNESCO earlier stated it was deeply concerned by the shelling of Lviv, which affected a site on its list. The organization reminded that cultural property is protected by international conventions and offered assistance with protective measures, stating it was ready to provide support for urgent assistance, assessments, and protective actions.
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Polish Foreign Ministry Condemns Russian Attack on Lviv Center
The Polish Foreign Ministry also condemned the Russian attack on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday. “Poland strongly condemns the barbaric Russian drone attack on the historic center of Lviv, a UNESCO World Heritage site. A 17th-century monastery, a treasure of European civilization shaped by centuries of Polish and Ukrainian history, was set on fire in broad daylight. This is a deliberate attack on our common memory and identity,” the ministry stated.
“Russia, a party to the Hague Conventions and UNESCO conventions only in name, is destroying the very heritage that these treaties are meant to protect,” the statement continued.
